About a decade ago we had a wave of classic TV shows made into movies all of which met with varying degrees of success (The Beverly Hillbillies, The Addams Family, The Brady Bunch Movie, etc.) But with the success of the Sex and the City movie it was inevitable that Hollywood would immediately begin looking at other canceled television shows to see which ones were ripe for a movie version.
Sex and the City has already grossed over $300M worldwide so studio executives would actually be pretty stupid to not at least think about the possibility regardless of how we might feel about it. Of course, it only takes about two seconds of thinking about it to come up with Friends as an option. A British Tabloid is actually reporting that a Friends movie is, in fact, in the works.
Now, we can’t take this as anything more than a rumor at this point. I mean, it’s coming from a British tabloid, but it makes a certain amount of sense that the studios would be considering it as an option. Now, whether or not the actors and others involved would consider it might be a different story.
However, the cast, which includes Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer haven’t really been taking the entertainment world by storm since the series ended a few years ago. Aniston and Cox Arquette both have production companies, but they personally haven’t met with a huge amount of success (The Breakup being an exception). Matt LeBlanc’s spin-off series barely made two seasons and now he’s not even acting. Matthew Perry’s movies are going straight to DVD. Schwimmer is transitioning himself into a director, but his latest flick, Run Fatboy Run, didn’t have legs.
Who’s to say that the cast wouldn’t at least consider the possibility of getting back together for a big screen version of Friends? After all, the Sex and the City movie only cost $65M to make and has grossed over $300M at the box office alone so anyone who had a cut of that would stand to make a pretty penny. And I’m guessing all of these guys would get a cut of anything a Friends movie would make. Money talks. Plus, having a big screen hit doesn’t hurt your career in the slightest. All of them could use a little nudge in that department. Heck, Schwimmer could even direct with Aniston and Cox Arquette producing.
The British Tabloid had this to say:
A source said: ‘Jennifer, Courteney and the rest of the cast are keen to reprise their roles, under the right circumstances.
‘The box office success of Sex And The City has really got their wheels spinning about how a Friends film could be just as big, if done right.
‘Timing and the script are really important, but now that Courteney and Jen both have production companies, they can potentially get very involved in those decisions.’
Talk of a reunion for the loveable gang from New York’s Central Perk has been bandied around Hollywood ever since the show aired its final season in 2004.
While Cox, 44, LeBlanc, 40, Perry, 39, Kudrow, 45 and Schwimmer, 41, were believed to be keen on the reunion, Aniston, 39, is believed to have dragged her heels.
Now, however, she is keen to move ahead with the project, which will be produced by Warner Bros.
The source added: ‘As the biggest star of the Friends franchise, Jennifer can’t help but look at what’s happened with Sarah Jessica Parker and the Sex And The City film and be a little jealous.
‘What’s held back a Friends movie so far is that people were worried that Jennifer had simply become too famous to play Rachel again
The article goes on to say that Aniston and Cox Arquette have already talked about making the movie and they have some ideas so things could fall into place quickly, yada, yada, yada (wait, that’s a different show). The problem I see is really twofold.
First of all, Friends, the series, didn’t leave us hanging like Sex and the City left their fans hanging without a resolution (from what I understand – I’ve never seen it). Things were pretty much wrapped up on Friends with everyone going their separate ways. They all moved away from each other and started their families or whatever. What would the story be? Would it be compelling enough for a theatrical movie? How could they bring everyone together without making it feel forced and unnatural.
And that brings us to problem number two which is the look and feel of the movie. Most of the series revolved around the apartment set. However, in the finale of the series they moved out of that apartment. Would Friends be Friends without the apartment? Also, Sex and the City was filmed with a lot of location shots and in a way that led easily to being adapted to the movie format. Friends was shot on soundstages with little to no location shooting. Would the movie bring them into the real world or would it remain in sitcom like locations? Would people pay to see a two hour sitcom on the big screen?
I think there are a lot of problems that would have to be overcome in order to bring Friends to the big screen. I found it doubtful that a group of people like those who were in the show would settle for anything less than the best and I just don’t know if they could achieve it. Unless someone could solve the aforementioned problems and come up with a tremendous script, I find it unlikely that Friends will ever be coming to the big screen. Now, a reunion special in about twenty years…that I can see.
WTF!?!?! …” the Sex and the City movie only cost $65M to make …” ARE YOU FRAKKING SERIOUS?!?!?! IT COST THAT MUCH?!?!? Is inflation and the economy that bad? what am I talking about?? At the time, Rambo III was the most expensive movie ever made at a whopping $65 million. This is understandable with the enourmous traveling to various countires they did and huge combat and action scenes in the desert. $65 million for 3 chicks shopping in NY?!?!?!?! Are you serious?!?!?! Dear lord how is it possible that movie cost more than $10 million to make? I have SUPER difficulty with the price tag it took to make this film… 65?!?!?!!? Really?!?!?! You sure thats not 6.5 and its a typo?
I will sooooo see this movie
No cliffhanger, you are right, but I think the rest of the world wants to see Ross and Rachel together at last, and maybe Joey and Phoebe hook up! lol
I think Aniston has had a pretty successful career so far though.
I'm sure the cast alone had to be paid like $20-30 million
$45-$35 million to make this movie AFTER the cast was paid!?!?!?! Dear lord I have a hard time with this…theres like no way this movie cost that much… you guys have pull, someone get the finance ledger I wanna see what they spent $$$ on…
It was in NYC, a cup of coffee is 5$, supposedly. Thats only 9million cups of coffee an dif you get bagels well its even less.
It's the guilds and unions along with studio excess that force the films to cost so much. The same film could have been made as an Independent with non SAG actors for about $2 million.
Well, I don't know if you watched the finale but Ross and Rachel already ended up together and Phoebe is with someone else (I think they got married, but can't remember for sure).
Aniston has been second tier at best. Only a couple of hit movies and The Breakup is really the only one that she can get much credit for.
I would see it.
I know they ended up together, but I think people want to SEE them together, as in more than just the finale.
Forgot about Phoebe though…
Aniston may be second-tier, but it's not too bad of a career. She had a great one in The Good Girl, but not many saw it.
Matthew Perry has also been pretty successful I think.
I would go see it with friends, it would kind of be like when you wtach your self on camera and it displays on tv in an endless loop, but just with friends…
The finale was actually one of the better series enders. I don't see any reason to revisit our 'friends'. Plus as mentioned above there are significant production issues and this cast has a history of wanting big money. I'm guessing they'd expect around 15 mil per which would put the budget easily north of 90 mil just to pay the big 6. Lastly, most of us have moved on from the show (even tho I still watch it on syndication), it's not like we'd all gather at our local barista and then go see the movie like the SITC girls did. To me, I hope they leave it alone, but as Mike mentions…money talks and lord knows hollywood seems to be short on imagination these days.
I would totally go see it, but I agree with you Jason that it would be a hard show to transition to the big screen. The show was always best at the little things… everyday situations made in to comical story lines. We'll see, but it seems like a long shot at success.
You're showing your age, Cap'n. And I believe there was 4 chicks in Sex And the City
Okay, as a DEVOTED Friends watcher even now I have to say that I would definitely go see a “Friends” movie. BUT they shouldn't do it. The finale was one of the best I've seen for a loved series, and they should touch it.